ApolloImperium Posted January 22, 2011 Report Share Posted January 22, 2011 Updates from Apollo Updates from Apollo Is it two weeks later already? Wow! Time goes fast when you are busy! Well, that's just fine with me as the last few have brought nothing but good news! On the menu for today's news is Archive Improvements and New Advertising Pages! Also - AFF has joined Facebook! Come visit and say hello! AFF's Facebook Page Archive Improvement Status Updates I know I've teased everyone a little bit when the thought of new things for the Archive, so I wanted to take a moment to review and give some additional information to everyone. As always, we want to ensure that you are know where we are and where we are going! So to start with, I'd like to give a little bit of background information. Back in 2002 when the Archive was founded, we were small enough that it was an HTML site, but as the site grew we switched to Storyline software from IO Designs in 2003. This company is no longer in business and the software is no longer supported. By 2005 the Archive was starting to outgrow the Storyline software, so our Programmer Manta2G reworked the Storyline software into a custom archival software named Fiction Portal; however as with anything tech related, it needed updating so 2007 & 2008 were spent plugging holes in the software and bringing the coding up-to-date from php2 to a more current language. Late 2010, the site was finally upgraded to php5.x and MySQL 5.x. So at this point, the Archival software is custom built with a number of changes slowly worked in to ensure that it remains live. It is because of this custom work that anytime we look to make a change, it has to be very thoroughly researched and tested to ensure that it will be able to integrate properly with out bringing our carefully constructed house of code down around our heads. This means that where other sites may be able to just toss in new features, AFF cannot just toss in a new snippet of code. What does this mean for you? It means that we hear you when you ask for new features and options, and please never think that we don't, but some things either are going to take a lot of time to come through or are just not possible to do with the current software. Here are some of the most common requests and where we currently stand with them: Ability to subscribe to a story and receive email when a story is updated - This is the number one most requested update. I think barely a week goes by without someone suggesting that we change this. Right now, this is high on our list of changes to make, but it is very difficult to integrate in with the current software. We know that you want it and if we can manage get it working successfully, I promise that you will see this in the future. Updated search options so can search by pairings, story codes, etc - We have purchased new search API and are currently working to get this integrated into the site. This is going to be a time consuming process working it in, but this is number one on our list of changes to make. If all goes well, this should be up and running in the next 6 months. Filter options with in story lists - This is in the research phase at this point in time, with no expected time line. Easier story upload options - We know that hand coding your stories can be a pain, so we are currently exploring the option to add a Rich Text Editor similar to what is used here in the Forums to the Archive for upload options. So far this looks like it will be an easy addition, so we should be able to have that added in sometime in the next few months. Removal of recaptcha - I wish this was something that we could do, but we can't. Spam bots are getting smarter and this removes the hassle authors face when spam reviews are left. Displaying e-mail on Archive Profile -While we could flip a switch that allows the email to show, right now it is hidden however for your email privacy. As I mentioned above, bots are getting smarter and we don't want crawlers getting your information. You are always welcome to include your email address in the About section, but please note that we recommend the following format 'screenname at gmail dot com' and advise readers to simply change the required bits. This was if you wish you can provide it, but keep it out of spam bots greedy fingers. Organized Avatar list/gallery -This is also in the research phase, again with no expected time line on release. We welcome any additional suggestions for updates to the archive beyond these and as we have more information on the above options we will let you know! As a side note, we are also working on a complete rework of the site, but that is a long way away as the complete re-write can cost upwards of $20,000. New Advertising Pages and Programs If you've noticed, we are slowly re-working the various information pages on the site to ensure the information is up to date and easy to understand. This week brings brand new pages to the Advertising section and a revamp of our pricing structure! While the monthly costs has not changed and is still offered at the low price of $20/month per banner and Annual Subscribers still receive a free month, we now offer Quarterly and Bi-Annual payment options with their own savings! Head on over today and consider advertising with AFF! Also, make sure you check back in two weeks for the launch of a brand new program for our advertisers! AFF CafePress Store 2011 has started - Did you get your calendar? Please take a moment to check out our store, featuring our AFF Calendar and other merchandise with the wonderful designs they provided us! Funding Status Information to exact status is always found on the donations page. Currently, the site has $766.16 stored in PayPal. January's hosting are paid and as we are looking great for February! We have started to amass a small surplus that will allow us to do various upgrades as listed above that you our readers ask for, but again, please keep us in mind if you have some spare cash! Please see the donation page for further information on how. Tech Updates from DemonGoddess Recaptcha Changes You may have noticed a change in the recaptchas on site now including balloon letters. This is due to again, spam bots getting smarter and getting through the old recaptchas. We know that they are hard to read on occasion, but just click the refresh button to the side of the entry field until one shows that you can read. We also recommend copying your review prior to posting that way if the recaptcha is entered incorrectly you don't have to go through the hassle of retyping your review! Archive Sweep Updates In the interest of keeping our users in the know about the Archive, a topic has been created here where you can find the most up to date information about how we are keeping the archive safe for all! Archive Clean Up Project Updates I have 44 stories left to move from the books subdomain and that will be completed! There are 365 stories to move from TV to Buffy subdomain to finish the move of the Angel stories into Buffy and two top level catagories to be sorted and moved in Cartoons, but does not count the stories that need to be moved to other subdomains. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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